1Department of Psychology, Mata Sundri College for Women, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
2Department of Psychology, Indraprastha College for Women, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
3Creator in Residence, That Sassy Thing, Neeti Bagh, Delhi, India
4Department of Psychology, MCM DAV College for Women, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India
*Corresponding author: vgupta@ip.du.ac.in (ORCID ID: 0000-0003-1864-160X)
Online Published on 02 August, 2023.
Cohabitation is an important phenomenon which is on the rise in the hectic and fast paced modern life, however, it exists on the sidelines of Indian society due to taboos attached to it. In order to gain a deeper understanding of the phenomenon, three focus group discussions were conducted with 24 female college students (18-21 years) from Delhi-NCR. The results revealed that the participants were aware of the concept of cohabitation and its legal status in India. There was a lot of parental opposition and social stigma attached to cohabitation. Social media and cinema were considered to be the most important source of influence in understanding and actualizing such relationships. Partners also dealt with many problems like insecurity, harassment and lack of trust. Another unresolved issue was whether the couple should have children or not and the anxiety related to their future. But overall, cohabitation was perceived as a consensual arrangement with perks of a marriage without too many legal implications. In the future, a transformed scenario of marriage, as well as the choice of partners in terms of online dating and cohabitation may become popular.
Cohabitation and its relevance in contemporary society.
Cohabitation as a viable alternate to marriage but with socio-cultural constraints in the Indian context.
Role of global forces and social media in shaping attitudes toward cohabitation.
Cohabitation, Live-in relationship, Social stigma, Sexual and companionship needs
